Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-08-25

which dried up the wet DECK, and made
the waves of the great blue sea all
about them sparkle with gladness.
George Washington got him some hot
coffee, and said he was glad to see
him ..condolescent." Captain Flagg,
who looked quite fresh and hearty in
spite of having been up all night.
smiled broadly, telling Tad that he'd
gin to get his sea-legs on III jifnT.
Eph grinned at him over the top of the
wheel, and proffered the use of his
jack-knife, if he (Tad) wanted to whit
tle Polly glanced at him demurely,
and Bounce Tapped the ends of Tad's
extended fingers. On the whole, Tad
didn't feel nearly as badly regarding
his humiliation as he had expected
to; but all his bright visions
of the pleasures of seafaring life
had been swallowed up in the darkness
and terror of the night before. He was
not intended by nature for sailor. and
now Tad's greatest desire was 10 set his
foot on dry land again. know that. in
contrast with the average boy of juve-
nile fiction, this sounds tremendously
unheroic, but can't help it; there are
..born sailors and born landsmen, and
Tad was one of the latter. One must
take people and things as he finds them
in real life. Yet, as Tad began to feel
better, there was much to wonder at
and admire all about him. Far away
on the port hand was the distant coast
line, dotted here and there by the white
hot # Itch or ,.I.o or1
the ocean rolled on and on. till its
waters washed the very rim of the
great arching dome of blue which came
down to meet it. On every side were
the sails of passing vessels, and beauti-
full beyond compare was the sight OF a
handsome ship, with all drawing sail
set, standing in for Boston Light, head
ing almost directly for the schooner.
On she came, with her yards braced
sharp against the back-stays, throwing
the sparkling foam from the cutwater
in great swaths, that swept along her
CLASSY sides and formed creamy track
astern. As the stranger was passing
so near, Captain Flagg hailed her
through an immense speaking trumpet.
''What ships that, and where from?"
''Ship 'Sooloo,' a hundred and thirty
days from Calcutta-what vessels
thatP" beloved back the Captain, who
was standing by the weather mizzen
rigging, with his hand on backstay.
Schooner Mary j. of Bixport;
twenty-four hours out Ell Boston,"
bawled Captain Flagg, with Il gracious
wave of the hand; and Tad, who had
listened to these nautical queries and
replies with great marveling, wondered
what made the Captain of the ship
double himself up, like man with
sudden attack of collie, or like person
in an agony of laughter, as the great
vessel went plunging onward toward
her destination.
Them that goes down to the sea in
ships has GURUS exper' ences, Thad-
deus" said Captain Flagg, laying down
his big trumpet with an impressive nod
of the head.
With vivid recollection of his own
experience of the previous night, Tad
replied emphatically that he had no
doubt of it.
when you come to be a sailor,
Thaddeus, and, may be, ship-master,
like myself" pursued the Captain,
feeling mechanically in his pockets for
his pipe-which he discovered, mo-
ment later, to be on the deck, in pos
session of Bounce, who was gravely
dragging it away TO the Unreasonable
delight of POlly-''an' you've gone
through the responsibilities, an
dangers, an typhoons = an things
fllxr - hn rathn1. he anuaII1HaI
as he recovered his pipe from Bounce,
you'll realize that what Solomon says
about truth being stranger'n fiction is
jest about as he's put it,
but I-I-don't think L want to be
ii sailor" faltered Tad, with downcast
eyes.
''What-not want to be a salyer
bold, and pillow the ragin' MAN," ex-
claimed the Captain with look of lrr&
utterable amazement.
mo, sir, family replied Tad. And
as he thus spoke, he hung his head so
far one side that the big fur cap fell
off, and was Immediately seized by
Bounce, who began to worry it, evil
IDENTIFY regarding it as some new spe-
cies of the feline race, until, in the
fervor of his attack, he fell into it bod
lily, and gave vent to small yelps, ex-
pressive of extreme fear.
1t was some time before the Captain
recovered from the shock occasioned |
by Tad's reply. That q likely boy |
should prefer a prosaic existence |
ashore, who had once tasted the pleas
urable excitement of "a life ON the |
ocean wave passed his simple COM
"a 7hension. But gradually yielding to
Polly's artful arguments. Captain
Flagg's brow began to clear.
All Tipht my lad :, he sold unite !